Cubs Minor League Wrap: April 29

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs got run over by the Round Rock Express (Rangers), 10-9.

Nick Struck allowed five runs over the first three innings. He gave up four hits, three of which were solo home runs. He had some control problems too as he walked four and struck out only one.

The score was tied 9-9 after four and a half innings, but only one more run scored the rest of the way and it was charged to Cory Wade, who gave up a run in the eighth for the loss. He pitched two innings and was touched for three hits while walking one. Wade had one strike out.

The Cubs scored seven times over the first 2.2 innings against Randy Wells, who has 26 career Iowa Cubs wins. DH Brett Jackson connected off of Wells in the second inning with a man on for his second home run in two days and of the year. Jackson was 1 for 4 with a walk.

First baseman Brad Nelson abused Round Rock pitching by going 4 for 5 with two doubles and three RBI. Nelson scored twice.

Shortstop Logan Watkins was 2 for 4 with a walk. He scored one run and had one batted in. Right fielder Ryan Sweeney went 2 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored,

Center fielder Brian Bogusevic singled in the fourth inning to extend his hitting streak to 14 games. Bogusevic was 1 for 5 with an RBI groundout.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies split a double-header with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Reds), losing game one 3-0 and winning the second game by the same 3-0 score.

In the first game, Eric Jokisch allowed three runs on five hits over five innings. He walked one and struck out one.

Matt Szczur and Ronald Torreyes led off the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles. Szczur got picked off second, the Smokies failed to score in the inning and they didn't get another hit the rest of the game.

In the second game, Kyle Hendricks had a no-hitter going before allowing a soft single to right with two out in the sixth inning. He finished the sixth and then exited with a no-decision. He only walked one and he struck out eight.

The game was still scoreless heading to the bottom of the seventh when catcher Jair Fernandez came to bat with Rubi Silva on second and Johermyn Chavez on first and one out. Fernandez lined a ball that one-hopped the wall in what looked to be a game-ending hit. But Silva looked to tag up rather than go halfway and then only got to third base on a play he should have easily scored on. Then Fernandez rounded first and was thrown out at second where Chavez was standing.

For the record, that was two base running blunders on one play. Silva should have easily scored and ended the game and Fernandez had no reason to round first base since there was no way he could score on anything other than a home run.

So it looked like the Smokies had blown it, but pinch-hitter Jae-Hoon Ha cranked a two-out three-run home run to end the game. It was Ha's first home run of the year.

Marcus Hatley got the win with a perfect top of the seventh. Hatley struck out two.

The Smokies are now done with Pensacola until 2014, barring a meeting in the Southern League Championship Series. The Smokies won the season series 5-4 with one cancelled game.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs beat the Palm Beach Cardinals, 2-1 in a game that ended in the eighth inning because of rain.

Yeiper Castillo got his first start of the season and had four shutout innings. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out eight. I guess that's pretty good.

Hunter Cervenka allowed an unearned run in the top of the eighth when shortstop Javier Baez made a throwing error in the rain. Cervenka allowed one hit and one walk over two inning of relief. Cervenka struck out four and got the win when Daytona scored in the bottom of the eighth.

Left fielder John Andreoli hit a bad-hop single with two out in the bottom of the eighth in a pouring rain that scored Tim Saunders. The umpires called for the tarp immediately thereafter.

DH Dustin Geiger accounted for the other run with a solo home run in the fifth inning, his third of the season. Geiger was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Kane County Cougars

The Kane County Cougars dropped a double-header to the Lake County Captains (Indians) 7-6 and 4-2.

In game one, starter Felix Pena pitched six innings and allowed two runs on five hits. He didn't walk anyone and he struck out three.

Pena exited with a 6-2 lead going to the seventh inning, but Ian Dickson and Matt Iannazzo combined to allow five runs, all after two were out. Dickson was charged with four runs on two hits, including a three-run home run and a triple after two were out. Dickson walked two and struck out one in his two-thirds of an inning.

Iannazzo entered the game with a man on third and two out and allowed that runner to score on a double and then gave up a bases-loaded single to end the game. Ianazzo also walked two.

First baseman Dan Vogelbach hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, his third of the season. Vogelbach was 1 for 4 with two RBI.

Two batters later, DH Rock Shoulders hit a monster blast off the right field scoreboard with a man on for his fifth home run this season. Shoulders was 1 for 3.

Catcher Willson Contreras went 2 for 3 and scored twice. He also stole a base.

In the second game, Michael Heesch started and took the loss after giving up four runs over five innings. He surrendered six hits and one walk while striking out seven.

The Cougars only had two hits in the second game, but one of them was Vogelbach's second solo home run of the evening. Vogelbach was 1 for 3.